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stay where we were, and took the necessary precautions to make our position secure.
To conceal it as much as possible, no camp-fires were allowed, and the troops lay silently on the field resting on their arms.
Between 12 and I o'clock the outposts reported some noise at a distance from our left, as if troops were moving toward the north-east.
I therefore went out with one of my staff-officers as far as our line of outposts, and remained there about half an hour, but could hear nothing.
I, however, saw distinctly the camp-fires of
Price's troops extending from the heights near
Elkhorn Tavern far down toward the south-east.
Toward the west and south-west the sky was illumined by two large, isolated campfires, one about midway between
Elkhorn Tavern and
Leetown, and the other four or five miles farther off in the direction of
Bentonville.
This, in
connection with what we had seen during the afternoon, when some of the enemy's troops were moving along the heights of
Pea Ridge toward
Elkhorn Tavern, and others toward the south-west, and with what the outposts had reported, made it clear to my mind that the enemy would not venture battle again near
Leetown, but that
McCulloch's troops would join those of
Price, and by a united effort try to overwhelm our right wing at
Elkhorn Tavern.
For this reason, and to give our worn-out and hungry troops something to eat, good camp-fires and rest, I resolved to withdraw them from their position, move them back to our camp, and lead them forward again in the morning to the same ground, to fall upon the enemy's right flank and rear, as soon as he should begin his attack.
Leaving the
Benton Hussars and a line of outposts with a reserve of infantry on the field, to guard our position, I marched off from the left, called in all the detachments from wherever they were, and formed the two divisions in such a manner on the road leading from my headquarters to the ground we had left, that, by reaching it with the head of our column, we could bring it in the shortest possible time on the right into line, and come into action at the very moment the first regiment and battery had taken their position.
All these preparations were completed before daybreak of the 8th.
During the night of the 7th the division of
Colonel Davis had been called in by
General Curtis from
Leetown, and in the morning it took position on the
Telegraph road, in place of
Carr's division, which had borne the brunt
